Nick and Tesla's Robot Army Rampage: A Mystery with Hoverbots, Bristle Bots, and Other Robots You Can Build Yourself

By "Science Bob" Pflugfelder and Steve Hockensmith

Nick and Tesla return in an all-new, robot-filled adventure!

When a rash of robberies hits the town of Half Moon Bay, 11-year-old sleuths Nick and Tesla are determined to catch the criminals—but to do so, they'll have to build a host of new gadgets and gizmos! In this robot-themed follow-up to Nick and Tesla's High-Voltage Danger Lab, the brother-and-sister duo build four different droids out of ordinary household objects—and illustrated instructions are included throughout the story, so you can build them, too! Make bristlebots that buzz, hoverbots that float above the ground, battlebots that duke it out, and more! Can Nick and Tesla catch the criminal mastermind—and foil his army of rampaging robots—before it's too late?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Quirk Books
• Release date: Feb 4, 2014
• ISBN: 9781594746635

Book preview

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Reviews for Nick and Tesla's Robot Army Rampage

[chris177 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An exciting adventure book for children. I found the book to be entertaining to read. My copy of the book was an advance reading copy, so it was missing a few illustrations, which was sad because the illustrations enhanced the book. Go out and buy this book, the kids will love it!

[literarychanteuse · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

For middle graders who enjoy a scientific mystery with fun and adventure. This story proves it pays to be smart. A brother and sister team along with a few quirky characters definitely add to the entertainment. Throw in a few robots with how to make instructions and you've got a dynamite book. I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[firepile · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ironically, when I first got this book, I had no children and just wanted it for myself. But now, there's a kid, so I re-read it with him in mind. I really love the way this mixes storytelling with DIY, and genuinely wish more books did this. It's such a brilliant way to do things, I have no idea why more books, especially books for children and young adults, don't take this sort of approach. Great fun and very clever. Super thanks for sending me an ARC of this.

[ladycato · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was provided a copy of the book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program. It's a sequel to Nick and Tesla's High-Voltage Danger Lab, which I also read and reviewed through the program.This series for middle graders brings together two elements in a fun way: the old-fashioned children's mystery novel like Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys, with interspersed science projects that use basic around-the-house materials to make cool stuff. This time around, 12-year-old twins Nick and Tesla (Tesla being the girl) rove around downtown Half Moon Bay, California. With their parents on an agricultural business trip to Asia (though there are plenty of bold hints that they are really spies of some sort), the two kids are living with their mad scientist Uncle Newt. There's a criminal mastermind on the loose in town. A very valuable comic book has gone missing and other businesses have been hit by thefts, too. At the same time, many of these businesses have brand new robots, too. Hmm... Nick and Tesla have fun making their own homemade robots as part of the trend. The directions are very straightforward and include elements like old computer fans and soda bottles. There are many illustrations to show how to construct everything step-by-step. I really love that Tesla--the girl--is the one who loves robots the most.As for the story, it's fun. The characters are actually very well-written and not simply cardboard cut-outs like those in older kids' mystery novels. I love Uncle Newt; he's delightfully eccentric in a way that feels real to me because he'd fit in with my own family. The first book had something of a deus ex machina at the end where an adult came in and saved the day for them. Here, I like that the kids really do scrape through on their own by using science.This is really a great series for girls AND boys who love science, adventure, and feel the urge to experiment and build. There is endless potential for the books as the series goes forward, too--and I also wonder what will happen when Nick and Tesla become aware of what their parents really do for a living and how that complicates things for them in Half Moon Bay.

[nancyno5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I won this book in exchange for an honest review.Nick and Tesla fall into the genre of young kids turned detective. I not big on these stories because they often seem flat with unbelievable characters.I liked this story and the characters of Nick and Tesla. They story was lively and the characters likable. What I found endearing about Nick and Tesla was their constant refusal to acknowledge that they had become kid detectives. The plot flows nicely with enough robot action to keep young readers entertained.Nick & Tesla were kids who just wanted to help out their friend. Their investigations were helped along by the fact that they were scientifically savvy.The book also had the added bonus of 'build your own robot' instructions which my son is thrilled about. I hope to have his own review attached later.

[empress8411 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I wasn't sure what to expect when from this book. But whatever it was, this book was more. Nick and Tesla are twins, living with their crazy inventor Uncle Newt in a the small town of Half Moon Bay. Inventors and Science Nuts themselves, Nick and Tesla find themselves using their brains, friendships and random spare parts to solve mysteries. Here is what I enjoyed about this book:1. I laughed out loud at least 17 times. 2. I didn't know who did it until the end. 3. There are instructions for building robots in the text - clear, easy, make-you-want-to-run-out-and-do-it-now-instructions.With creative prose, engaging plot, witty humor, likeable characters and an extra helping of nerdy jargon and science smarts, this book is everything I'd want my kids to read. I intend to recommend this all my friends - those with and without children, and I intend to give this away as presents as often as possible. I highly recommend. I received an free ARC through LibraryThings Early Reviewer Program in exchange for my honest opinion.

[ljldml · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's so much fun reading a book that makes the reader smile. One of the reasons I love reviewing children's and middle graders books so much (especially QUIRK books) is because they make me smile and laugh!Nick and Tesla are twin 11 year old kids. They are living with their very eccentric uncle Newt. The two kids are surrounded by brilliance, from their uncle to their parents, and it has rubbed off. They are budding genius's themselves. This book is just fun to read. Kids will love the science experiments listed and the many robots and other devices in the stories. The heart of the story is an adventure. A mystery. Robberies are happening all over their sleepy town. Nick and Tesla, along with their friends DeMarco and Silas must solve the crimes.The vocabulary used in the book is challenging but not too difficult for kids. The step by step science experiments are a fantastic plus. My 12 year old wants to do every experiment. The age group targeted is the group usually interested in robotics and science. Amazing series your middle grader will love. Both boys and girls are represented with Nick and Tesla.

[gothrabbit · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a great book for kids that love science and engineering. As an engineer who was once an inquisitive kid, I would have loved having this book as a 9 year old. It's a quirky fun mystery with a science theme, and there are plans for building your own robots out of recycled and easy to get materials.

[catherinea_56 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Good mystery, liked the science/robot aspect, although I wish there had been a little bit more of that... a good fit for the summer reading 2014 science theme. Would recommend to my 4th and 5th graders. Also liked the instructions for making robots of your own.

[cherylk_44 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Anther fun read. I have enjoyed reading these books and seeing the trouble that Nick, Tesla and their friends get into. However the best part is how they get out of the trouble they found themselves in. It keeps things entertaining. Also, the gadgets that they build are cool. I like that they do not seem over complicated. So my nephews can build the same gadgets that Nick and Tesla build in the book. Nick and Tesla and their friends are like the newer version of the Hardy Boys and friends. I can't wait to read the next book and see what new adventure that Nick and Tesla find themselves in.

[kiesa-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the second book in the Nick and Tesla series. While I really like the first one, this second book felt more polished (ironic since I received an ARC). At a high level, the plot is more or less the same as the first book. The kids encounter a problem and set out to solve it using various contraptions. All the elements that I liked about the first are also present here. Tesla continues to delight and the robot instructions look amusing (though we haven't tried to build any).I requested Nick and Tesla's Secret Agent Gadget Battle via the LibraryThing Early Reviewer program and was pleasantly surprised to receive this book, Nick and Tesla's Robot Army Rampage, as a bonus.

[kmartin802_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Nick and Tesla are still living with their eccentric Uncle Newt and wondering why they haven't heard from their parents. They are trying to distract themselves by working on their own inventions in their uncle's laboratory. Uncle Newt is working on a new type of vacuum cleaner powered by rotten bananas with his usual limited success. To get out of the house after an unfortunate explosion, the family heads down to Rinalli'a pizza place. They are too early and decide to spend some time in the local hobby shop - the Wonder Hut. They find the store transformed from something dark, dusty and smelly into something bright, clean, and fresh. The also find that the new owner is Hiroko Sakurai who knew Uncle Newt from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Uncle Newt is immediately smitten. The kids are fascinated with the new robots that are all over the store and challenge each other to create the best robot. Plans are included in the book for both robots Nick and Tesla build. The mystery in this story centers around, first, the theft of a very rare comic book that Nick and Tesla's friend's father found at an estate sale. Selling the comic book would save the business which has fallen on hard times. Nick and Tesla begin to investigate. Then a local jewelry story is robbed too. The mystery is entirely middle school appropriate and even throws in a few "red herrings."Budding young scientists will be urging their parents to take them to the nearest Radio Shack so that they can build the variety of robots (and a super soaker) the way Nick and Tesla do. The detailed plans for all the devices are included in the book. This was another successful mystery for young scientists with engaging characters and some humor too.

[hdzookeeper · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Nick and Tesla help a friend when his father's store is robbed. They are spending the summer with their quirky Uncle Newt. There are instructions for making the robots that they use. Interesting and enjoyable story.

[jugglingpaynes · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This second book in the series by Science Bob and Steve Hockensmith finds Nick and Tesla tracking down a thief who stole a rare comic book from a comic shop owned by one of their friends. At the same time, their Uncle Newt is smitten by the new owner of their favorite hobby shop, The Wonder Hut.The story is engaging and enough clues are laid out that readers can figure out who did it along with Nick and Tesla. The highlight of the book, as with the first, are the various projects sprinkled into the story that you build along with Nick and Tesla. The focus of this book is robots, so most of the projects are different robots. I haven't tried any yet with my daughter, but I hope to. Most of the directions for the projects seem clear enough, although I couldn't understand some of the steps for building the hoverbot. I felt like there might have been one or two diagrams missing from the instructions. Many of the illustrations were rough drawings, so I won't comment on them since this was an advanced reader copy of the book and I'm sure they are not in finished form.In all, another good book in this series.

[janeslist · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I got this book as a Librarything Early Reviewer. This is book 2 of the Nick and Tesla series. Aimed at middle schoolers, it tells the story of twins Nick and Tesla who are staying with their crazy inventor uncle. In this book there are robots everywhere, including instructions on how to make your own after a trip to an electronics store. The story was enjoyable, and I like that it is encouraging kids to build real things. Altogether a fun read and I'm looking forward to reading the next one.

[mariah2_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Nick and Tesla are spending some time with their eccentric Uncle Newt while their parents are away. The siblings soon find themselves in the middle of a mystery, and they plan to solve it. Using their creativity and powers of observation the children believe they found out who done it, but they may not have a chance to tell anyone else. The typical aspect of this story is the children’s independence. They are pretty much on their own, as their well meaning uncle is busy with his own projects and their parents are away. This story does have some unique features that would augment the already pleasing tale. In addition to the entertaining story, the authors have provided instructions on how to create real life gadgets. These projects may need some adult supervision, but they tie in perfectly with the story.The book ends in a cliff-hanger, and should leave a young reader anxiously awaiting the next installment. It is a good thing they will have some projects to work on while they are waiting for the next book. I recommend this story for children in the 9-12 age range.

[johnklima · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Oh my goodness! I love this book! I've been a fan of Steve Hockensmith for a while, and it's great to see him stretch his writing chops with books for middle grade readers. As much as I like the story of siblings Nick and Tesla, I like the science experiments included in the book even more. This book includes how-to instructions on making your own robots from little hoverbots to toothbrush bristle robot roaches. This is the second book in a series and I hope that they write a lot more! Even though this is written for ages 9-12, my niece (a high school senior who's studying robotics) loved this book, too!

[deathsmistress · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Nick and Tesla are back in another exciting adventure, this time with robots! I know i'm not in the 'right' age range to read this book, but I still find it (and the first book) awesome. The inventions that you can make are super fun and great for kids. The story itself is exciting and perfect for little readers who like to zoom through books at a quick pace. For older readers, it's still fun and something to read as filler, or on the bathroom, or if you need a quick chuckle. I also like the illustrations every few pages, which, again, perfect for the young ones. Definitely would recommend to anyone who has children, younger siblings, smaller cousins, etc.

[krau0098 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I got a copy of this book to review from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed the first Nick and Tesla book and was excited to read this one. I liked this book even better than the first one, it was a fun and quick read with some neat gadgets to build throughout.When Nick and Tesla’s friend has a valuable comic book stolen from their parents’ comic book shop he is desperate to get it back. Nick and Tesla promise to look into the mystery. When they do they find out that a rash of other thefts have occurred throughout the neighborhood. Not only that but mysterious robots are showing up around town as well.This was a fun read. Nick and Tesla constantly get themselves in over their head trying to help out their friends. Then they have to make nifty gadgets to help them out. There is a lot of sleuthing and sneaking in this book that was fun to read about.As with the previous book, whenever Nick and Tesla build something it is following by detailed instructions on how to build that object. Most of the things built in this book were simple robots. This is awesome because my son has recently been asking about ideas for building a simple robot.The projects aren’t difficult but they unfortunately require a number of things we don’t have laying around the house. Most likely you will have to make a trip to Radio Shack to buy some simple motors and battery connectors. Additionally many of the projects use a hot glue gun, so younger kids will definitely need parental help and supervision. I think these projects are great if kids are in families that are willing to work on something like this. Unfortunately if kids don’t have a parent willing to run to Radio Shack and help them with these projects, I am afraid many kids won’t have the stuff needed to get them done. I had the same complaint with the last book.I do plan on trying to build some of these robot models once we have a chance to get some parts. I will try to update on how easy they were to build and on how well they worked.The illustrations throughout are really well done and fun. I enjoyed the quirky characters and the fast-paced plot. The mystery is set up nicely and wrapped up well. Nick and Tesla’s Uncle Newt is a blast to read about, he is just sooo funny. There was an addition of a love interest for Newt in this book, she was awesome and I hope we see her in future books.Overall a fun read. I think middle grade readers (and even adults) will enjoy the quirky characters, the entertaining mystery, and the crazy gadgets throughout. I love that there are some simple robot ideas in here. I am a bit concerned that the inventions and robots will never get built by kids though, they do need some special supplies and in many cases will need a parent’s help to make them. This whole series is recommended to middle grade and older readers, it’s a fun one.

[purplethings · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Nick and his sister Tesla are staying with their uncle Newt while their parents are away. They get involved in solving the mystery of a comic book theft to help out their friend and discover the robber has much bigger plans. Nick and Tesla use their inventing skills to create robots that help in their investigation. The only problem…the robber has a robot army of their own. A great mystery with an invention twist! This was a fun and funny read, especially with eccentric inventor Uncle Newt and his Banana Vac! It pulls science into the story and will get kids thinking about their own inventions. There are also instructions to build your own robots with some help from an adult. Upper elementary kids who enjoy science and mysteries would enjoy this series.

[jll112 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Just as much fun as the first. My son reads these in a couple of hours and thoroughly enjoys them. A little mystery a little science, lots of fun. I feel very comfortable setting my kids loose with these books.

[mattdocmartin · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Good for kids...especially fun if you get a chance to make the "robots" they give instructions for in the book. Good for around 10 year olds. I would think.

[aethercowboy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In the follow up to Nick and Tesla's High-Voltage Danger Lab, "Science Bob" Pflugfelder and Steve Hockensmith bring us another tale of technology and subterfuge, complete with devices you (or your child) can build yourself. This time, the theme of the gadgets is robots.I really enjoyed this book for two primary reasons. The first is definitely the experiments. The second is the exciting yet smart prose. I feel that children are barraged with vapid, placating prose when they visit a bookstore, and are so bored with the lack of content in the books they're reading that they drift off to more interesting things, like television or video games. It's nice to see that this book delivers quality content that I would imagine most kids would find interesting.If you are going to read this book, I strongly recommend starting at the beginning. While the authors fill in the gaps for new readers starting on book two, you're really missing out if you don't start from the top.I recommend this book to young readers and those who are interested in doing fun science experiments with their kids. This is definitely a good book (and series) for the whole family to read.

[literate0ninja · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I am obviously in the wrong age bracket for this book, but I was absolutely drawn in by the title. Overall, I thought that the story was pretty good, if a bit off the wall, and I liked that there were instructions to build your own robots in almost every chapter. And I was very impressed by the fact that, even though I thought that I had the evil mastermind all figured out from the second chapter, there was actually a very surprising twist ending. I think that I would recommend this book to any science-minded individuals who have elementary-aged kids, because it would be a great story for the kids, and the family could get together to build all the robots.

[agrudzien_5 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

In this second book, Nick and Tesla are still living with their goofy Uncle Newt. Between the cool new robots being given out around town, the makeover of the Wonderhut, their uncle (maybe) falling in love with a new scientist in town, and trying to dodge the putrid bananas flying out of their uncle's "green" vacuum Nick and Tesla have more on their plate than they can handle when expensive things in town start to go missing. Using their wits and robot-building expertise, the two twins try to solve the mystery before its too late. I enjoyed this book, but not as much as I did the first in the series. The experiments seemed a little bit trickier and more expensive. The story line was still enjoyable and I think middle grade readers will really enjoy this series - especially those that are robot-inclined.

[sebastianhagelstein · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Nick and Tesla have been living with their Uncle Newt in Half Moon Bay since their scientist parents moved mysteriously to Uzbekistan for their work. Their friend's father owns a comic book shop that hasn't been doing too well, but when attending an estate sale he found a mint condition copy of "Stupefying #6, a comic book that would be able to save his store. When it gets stolen, Nick and Tesla get on the case and have to solve a mystery filled with robots to help their friend.There are illustrations and instructions to make some of the awesome robots featured in the book. The materials needed for the robots are simple and most people probably have them at home. The ending sets the book up for a sequel very well.